To think this is not acceptable behaviour in the office?

[Pebbles1989]

A colleague got a hot lunch, ate half of it and left the rest under her desk... until 5.30pm! The food was very visible as hers is a corner desk. This isn't the first time she's done it; last time it was a full English breakfast that also sat there for the entire day. Our canteen is open all day so there's no excuse not to return the plate. It's sheer laziness.

AIBU to think that this is not appropriate behaviour at work?

[oneohfivethreeeight]

I agree. It's definitely not on.

[EggsEleven]

Does she return the plate at 5.30pm? Why doesn't she eat it in the canteen in the first place.

Unless the food stinks the place out or is in view if customers/clients I think 'unacceptable' and 'inappropriate' is a bit strong. Why does it bother you so much?

[CinnamonSweet]

Can't say it would bother me, least she took it back at 5.30pm, some dirty sods in my office don't bother and it's on the desk in the morning.

[Pebbles1989]

She returned it when she left the office.

It wasn't stinky but I suppose it would have been in warmer temperatures. It was half a plate of spaghetti bolognese, quite an extensive amount.

We're not client-facing but we often have important external visitors and company directors in our part of the building (thankfully none this afternoon).

[GooseyLoosey]

We don't allow hot food at desks in our open plan office because the smell is pretty antisocial and letting it Linder all day is definitely not on.

[obeseclarice]

Agree inappropriate is a bit strong for a half eaten plate of food...os she allowed to leave her desk to take the plate back? In many places where I've worked if you couldn't do that before 1, it would have to wait til after work.

Inappropriate behaviour is 2 male colleagues of mine, Mr Nosepicker and Mr Ballscratcher. Both make me feel a bit vomity. However no one is apparently prepared to tell them. I sometimes out the corner of my eye see Nosepicker having a proper root around (sits diagonally opposite me) and nearly heave my lunch over my desk every time.

[PageStillNotFound404]

It's a bit gross - when you say "under the desk" do you mean she'd just shoved the plate on the floor?

But then it amazes me what people do/don't do when it comes to offices and food/cutlery/fridges etc. Every office I've ever worked in that had a fridge has ended up with it looking like Alexander Fleming's workbench; there is always a shortage of teaspoons because one or more person has a hoard of dirty ones festering in an equally filthy mug at the back of their desk(s), and milk only exists in one of two states: stolen or halfway to cottage cheese.

[Pebbles1989]

She is allowed to leave her desk at any time, as are we all, and she did so several times this afternoon not that I was watching. The canteen is open all day so she could have returned the plate at any time.

It was on the floor, yes, really in very full view (my friend sitting three rows of desks away could see it).

[Pebbles1989]

I have a pretty high tolerance for grime but there was something about this that struck me as particularly gross. Perhaps the way that everyone else was forced to repeatedly view (and smell) it.